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How The Conclave Will Elect The New Pope

Published

4 months ago

May 7, 2025

Shaped by centuries-old rituals, the conclave to choose a successor to the late Pope Francis is set to begin on Wednesday.

A ringing of bells will accompany puffs of white smoke announcing that a new pontiff has been chosen to lead the world’s Roman Catholics.

However, before that can happen, the conclave must be held.

The name of the election procedure derives from the Latin “cum clave” (with a key) and refers to the tradition of locking cardinals in a room until they agree upon a new pope.

As usual, voting will take place in the Michelangelo-frescoed Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.

Cardinals will swear an oath of secrecy about the proceedings and seal themselves off from the world.

To prevent any outside influence from affecting the election, the men will not be allowed to read newspapers, watch television, listen to the radio, exchange mail or use telephones and computers.

During the conclave, cardinals will be housed in Saint Martha House, a residence inside the Vatican built in the 1990s also used for the previous conclave.

Before 2005, cardinals had to sleep in cramped conditions in the Apostolic Palace, the pope’s official residence.

Theoretically, any baptized male Catholic is eligible to become pope. In practice, however, the conclave will elect one of the members of the College of Cardinals.

There is no official list of candidates for the papacy. Each cardinal simply writes the name of the person he favours on a slip headed with the words “Eligo in summum pontificem… ” (I vote for … as pope).

Cardinals are encouraged to disguise their handwriting to prevent anyone from knowing where their sympathies lie.

One ballot is held on the first day, followed by four on each successive day.

From ballot to ballot, support builds for various figures, making the outcome clearer until the needed two-thirds majority is reached.

Should no pope have been elected after three days, there must be an interruption of no more than a day to retire for prayer and “informal conversation among the electors,” as John Paul II directed in his 1996 document “Universi Dominici Gregis” (The Lord’s Whole Flock).

The most senior cardinal addresses the conclave.

Three urns will be used for voting. One is used to collect the cardinal’s ballot papers; another one to hold them after they have been counted; and a third may be brought to cardinals confined to Saint Martha House owing to illness or frailty.

Ballot papers are strung together and burned after each vote. When dark smoke rises from the Sistine chimney, this is a signal that no pope has been elected.

Though conclaves have in the past lasted months, and even years, in recent history they have never taken more than a week.

Once the necessary majority is achieved, the would-be pope is asked if he accepts the post. If he says yes, he assumes office from that moment and is asked to state the name he has chosen to use as pope – generally that of a former pontiff or of a beloved saint.

White smoke then rises from the Sistine Chapel, in a sign to the outside world that a pope has at last been elected.

At this point, the cardinal protodeacon, who at the time of Francis’ death was French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, will appear from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to announce to the world: “Habemus papam” (We have a pope).

Headline

Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty In US To $405,000 Romance Scam Against American Women

Published

1 day ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

A40-year-old Nigerian man, Daniel Chima Inweregbu, has pleaded guilty in the United States to charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as money laundering, in connection with a romance scam that defrauded American women of more than $405,000.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, in a statement on Thursday, said Inweregbu and his co-conspirators ran the scheme between July 2017 and December 2018, using a fake online persona named “Larry Pham” to lure victims on dating sites and social media targeting US citizens.

Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson said that Inweregbu, described as a citizen of Lagos, Nigeria, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2025 before United States District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown to two of the counts pending against him.

The counts which include conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and using an assumed name to commit a mail fraud scheme, Attorney Simpson said were in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341, 1342, 1343 and 1349 (Count 1), and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(1)(B)(i), 1957, and 1956(h) (Count 12). INWEREGBU’s plea stemmed from his role in a lengthy romance scam targeting American citizens.

According to court documents, a “romance scam” was a confidence scheme in which the perpetrator feigned romantic intentions towards a victim, gained their affection, and used the victim’s goodwill to commit fraud.

“These fraudulent acts might involve such acts as obtaining access to the victim’s money, bank accounts, credit cards, passports, e-mail accounts, or national identification numbers; convincing the victim to transmit things of value to the perpetrator or his witting or unwitting co-conspirators; or inducing the victim to, unintentionally, commit or participate in the commission of financial fraud against third parties on behalf of the perpetrator,” the statement read.

It added, “Between at least July 1, 2017, and December 16, 2018, Inweregbu, and his co-conspirators, devised and operated a “romance scam” whereby they sought to obtain money and property from multiple American women, including 4 victims, by means of false and fraudulent representations and promises.

“Specifically, Inweregbu and his co-conspirators created profiles on social media and online dating sites using the alias “Larry Pham,” purportedly a middle-aged male, to attract middle-aged female victims.

“The co-conspirators, including Inweregbu, used online messaging platforms and email, to contact victims, introduce themselves, and appeal to victims’ longing for companionship. If the victim responded favorably, Inweregbu and his co-conspirators began to cultivate a romantic relationship that emotionally attached the victims to “Larry Pham.”

“Once the relationship was established, the defendant and his co-conspirators, posing as Larry Pham, requested victims send them money under various scams and ruses to domestic bank accounts they opened and managed. Inweregbu’s scheme resulted in actual and intended losses to the victims of over $405,000.

“Thereafter, Inweregbu and his co-conspirators laundered the funds, by conducting financial transactions using the proceeds of their wire and mail fraud scheme, designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds, by directing the victims’ funds through intermediaries.

“Inweregbu faces up to twenty years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a fine of $250,000 as to Count 1. He faces up to twenty years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a fine of $500,000 as to Count 12. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count. Sentencing before Judge Brown has been scheduled for December 4, 2025,” the partly read.

Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson, according to the statement praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the great support provided by United States Department of Justice Office of International Affairs and the United States Department of State.

“Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution,” the statement noted.

Headline

UK Bars Over 100 Job Roles From Foreign Recruitment To Curb Migration

Published

1 day ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

The British government has unveiled major immigration reforms, blocking foreign workers from filling more than 100 job categories in a move aimed at reducing net migration.

The Home Office, in a statement posted on X Saturday morning, said the decision was geared towards creating more opportunities for local citizens while restructuring the visa regime.

“Cutting net migration means getting the fundamentals right.

“More than 100 occupations are no longer eligible for overseas recruitment – opening up more jobs for British workers. A fairer, skills-focused system is now taking shape,” the Home Office stated.

This policy marks the latest immigration clampdown under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who assumed office on July 5, 2024, after Labour’s sweeping election win that ended Rishi Sunak’s tenure.

However, the measure has drawn criticism, with opponents warning it could deepen staffing shortages in critical sectors such as healthcare and social services.

The Home Office has not yet published the full list of restricted occupations.

Headline

PM Killed In Israeli Strike, Say Yemen’s Huthis

Published

1 day ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

The prime minister of Yemen’s Huthis was killed in an Israeli airstrike along with other officials earlier this week, the Iran-backed rebels announced on Saturday.

Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser Al-Rahawi, who was appointed last year, is the most senior official known to have been killed in a series of Israeli strikes during the war in Gaza.

“We announce the martyrdom of the fighter Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser Al-Rahawi… along with several of his ministerial colleagues, as they were targeted by the treacherous Israeli criminal enemy,” a Huthi statement said.

“Others among their companions were injured with moderate to serious wounds and are receiving medical care since Thursday afternoon,” it added.

The Israeli military struck in the area of Sanaa, the Huthi-held capital, on Thursday. The Huthis, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians, have frequently fired missiles and drones at Israel during the Gaza war.

Israeli forces “struck a Huthi terrorist regime military target”, the Israeli military said at the time.

The Huthis have also targeted shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which they claim is linked to Israel during the Gaza war.

The rebel group controls large parts of Yemen, which has been gripped by war since 2014, and is part of Iran’s anti-Israel alliance alongside militant groups across much of the Middle East.